General Accounting

Chartfields are attributes in a Chart of Accounts.  Chartfields make up a Chartfield String.  A Chartfield String is used to define, identify, categorize and sort transactions. 

The following Chartfields are used for Amherst Chartstrings:

• Fund - Type of Funding (Ex. State, GOF, RTF etc.)
• Department - Used to track information according to a divisional breakdown
  • Department Level DeptID's ending in 00000
  • Sub Department Level DeptID's ending in 000
  • PI DeptID's ending with 001 - 999
• Program - Used to identify groups of related activities.  The UMass Amherst Program Code is a combination of the NACUBO code and the A21 Code.
• Class - Optional field, used to further breakdown type of activity.
• Project ID - Used to track Sponsored and Non-Sponsored Projects. 

To request a new chartstring, use the Chartstring Create New Request Form. Complete it and send it either:

• by campus mail to the Controller's Office, Attention: Chartfield Maintenance
• or by email to @email (if signed form needed please scan and send)

To inactivate a Chartstring, make sure the Chartstring is no longer used for:

• Payroll
• Recharges (Example: Telephone, Mail etc.)
• Open Purchase Orders or Requisitions
• Procard or Travel Card

The following balances should be brought to zero depending on fund type:

• Budget Balance 
• Cash 
• Liabilities (All Funds for Accounts starting with 2XXXXX)
• Fund Balance 
• Other Balance Sheet Balances (All Funds for Accounts: 110001 to 299999)

The Controller's Office will clear off Fund Balances for the following funds:

• 11000 - State
• 51006 - Tuition Retention
• 51342 - GOF
• 52129 - Research Trust Fund

In accordance with University policy, the Responsible Signature Authority (DeptID Manager/PI) has the prime responsibility for authorization of expenditures for his/her DeptID’s.  The Responsible Signature Authority listed on a DeptID may delegate Signature Authority to another staff member (Students cannot receive signature delegation).  Listed below are the two Signature Delegation Forms and their use:

• Signature Delegation for Non-Sponsored Chartstrings
  • Use with Departmental / Sub Departmental Level DeptID's (DeptID's ending in 000)
  • Covers Non-Sponsored funds under the Departmental DeptID (Funds starting with 1XXXX, 51XXX, 52XXX, and funds > 53499)
  • If a Departmental DeptID has a sponsored fund under it a Delegation Form for Sponsored Chartstrings should also be filled out.
  • DO NOT use this form for a Faculty / PI DeptID, the Sponsored Form must be used for these DeptID's.
• Signature Delegation for Sponsored Chartstrings and Faculty / PI DeptID's
  • Use with Faculty / PI DeptID's (DeptID's ending with 001 - 999), this delegation will also cover any Non-Sponsored Chartstrings under the PI DeptID
  • Use with Sponsored Project Chartstrings (these are Chartstrings that have Projects starting with "S" and Funds in the range 531XX - 534XX)
  • OWL training for Cost Allowability for Sponsored Grants must be completed before the signature delegation is granted.

 Note:

• The Manager listed on a DeptID is the only person that can give Signature Delegation.  A delegate cannot give out Signature Delegation in place of the manager.
• On the Sponsored Project Delegation - be sure that the PI initials the areas of delegation (do not place checks or X next to this area).  
• Signature Delegation does not replace the manager listed on a DeptID.  Please use the Department ID Manager Change Request Form if the manager is changing (Ex. New Department Head/Chair).

If a Department Head is changing, submit the following forms:

1. Department ID Manager Change Request Form
2. Signature Delegation Termination Form for out going Department Head
3. Signature Delegation Form for Non-Sponsored Chartstrings for new Department Head

Assignment of Account Administrator
Chartstring Create Request Form
Chartstring Inactivation Request Form
Department ID Manager Change Request
Signature Delegation for Departmental DeptIDs
Signature Delegation for Sponsored Projects
Signature Delegation Termination Form

FY25 Journal Submission Deadlines
Journal Attachment Instructions
Journal Entry Guide
Journal Entry Import Instructions
Journal Upload Spreadsheet
Journal Upload Win10 Spreadsheet
Journal Workflow Guide

The provider of the service or product must first obtain an approved fee through the campus Budget Office. The department requesting the services or products are billed either directly by the provider or sent a recharge (an invoice) describing the service or product sold.  When a provider directly bills a recharge the provider forwards the requesting department a confirmation recharge (invoice) to support the service or product.  When a provider sends a bill to the requesting department the requesting department completes the general recharge form and is given instructions to forward the recharge and the general recharge form back to the provider or the Controller’s Office. All completed Recharge Upload files should be emailed to @email.

The recharge appears on the finance reports of the requesting department as an expense and as revenue to the provider.

IMPORTANT:  Please note that only specific recharge revenue and recharge expense accounts should be used for on campuse recharge transactions as to not skew Universiy Financial Reporting.  Please see the Recharge Account Code spreadsheet on the sidebar with allowable account codes for your reference.  Please contact @email with any questions.  

For Manual Recharges not electronically uploaded, please send forms to the following:

• Sponsored Project Grant related recharges please send to Anthony Grey at @email
• Non-Sponsored Chartstrings recharges please send to @email 

• Recharge Account Codes
•  Recharge Form
•  Recharge Upload Excel Spreadsheet for Windows11

Rules for Determination of Close Dates:

• There must be at least 5 business days after the month end to close the actual ledger. If there are less than 5 business days the ledger close will go out to the next Friday.
• The Friday for year-end close is the Friday of the split payroll week.
• Ledger closes are scheduled for Friday’s due to the length of time is takes for monthly reports to run after closing.

Logic for ADJUST Ledger Close:

• The ADJUST ledger will be used for the monthly/quarterly adjustments after the ACTUALS ledger has closed.
• The ADJUST ledger will close 1 week after the ACTUALS ledger closes.  For the quarter close, the ADJUST ledger will close 2 weeks after the ACTUALS ledger closes.
• For Fiscal Year End, it will close on the last workday of July.

Logic for Period 998:

• Period 998 is for annual adjustments.
• This period will open on April 1st and will close on August 30, 2025.
• After the period is closed, any additional adjustments will need to be requested thru the Associate Controller in the President's Office.

Additional Notes on Business Units:

Worcester Business Units:

• UMWOR, WUMMF, WCCCP, WCPSP, WCS00, WCS01, WCS03 thru WCS11, EL600, EL610 and EL650.
• WCS02 will be located in Amherst but belongs to WCCCP.

Building Authority & Foundation Business Units:

• UMBLD and UMFND business units will follow the same closing schedule outlined above.  Activities will be booked at the President's Office on a quarterly/annual basis.  These business units are shared across campuses and are identified by campus using the department number.  Below is the list of departments:
  • AMH1000000 - Amherst
  • BOS1000000 - Boston
  • CEN1000000 - President's Office
  • DAR1000000 - Dartmouth
  • LOW1000000 - Lowell
  • WOR1000000 - Worcester

UMass Global Business Units:

• UMGLB, UMCBE and EL800 business units will follow the same closing schedule outlined above.  Activities will be booked at the President's Office on a quarterly/annual basis.

ULARC - UMass Lowell Applied Research:

• ULARC business unit will follow the same closing schedule outlined above.  Activities will be booked by the Lowell campus on quarterly/annual basis.

Last Updated: 

9/4/24

Purchase orders and invoices exported from BuyWays to PeopleSoft will be put on hold on June 28th (5pm). BuyWays users may continue to enter requisitions, but purchase orders will not be exported to PeopleSoft until the FY rollover is complete.  All open Purchase Order balances in PeopleSoft on July 2nd will be rolled over to FY25.

For outstanding commitments on FY24 POs to roll into FY25, the FY24 POs must be in an Approved or Dispatched status with a Valid Budget Check. There must be a valid budget row in the appropriate departmental FY25 budget to accommodate the rolled balance on the FY24 PO, or the PO will fail budget checking in FY25. UPST staff will work with departments to ensure that all qualified purchase orders roll into FY25.

Asset Receiving on FY24 PO’s must be vouchered by June 30th, therefore, the invoice and packing slip must be submitted by June 25th. To be considered Received, an item must be inspected and tagged.

During the FY24 close, UPST will be closing many POs created prior to 7/1/22. All PO owners of impacted POs subject to closure should have already been notified by UPST. If no action is taken by the PO owner, the PO will be closed. If there is a valid business reason that the PO cannot be closed, please submit a case to UPST, @email, for review and final determination.

Payroll through June 30, 2024 (PPE 06/29/24 and 1/14th of PPE 07/13/24) will be expensed in all departments in FY24. The fringe benefit rate applied to payroll is the rate in effect for the fiscal year of the payroll expense. The FY24 fringe rate is 43.20% and 2.11% for payroll taxes (UI/UHI/Medicare/ PFML). The proposed fringe rate for FY25 is 43.43% (Health/Retirement/ Terminal Leave) and 1.62% for payroll taxes.

The A/P check runs during the last few weeks of the fiscal year are: 6/18, 6/20, 6/25, and 6/27. The first A/P check run of FY25 will be on 7/2.